How to Create a Realistic GMAT Prep Plan

An essential part of creating a study plan is being realistic about your time constraints. If you work 80 hours a week, you probably won’t have the time to study five hours a day. Even if you physically have the time, you have to factor in how exhausted you will be and if you will be motivated to actually study. People are unable to learn productively if they are mentally fatigued, so be realistic about how you feel when you get off work and what you can do.

Any study plan you create should also be consistent. If you take a month long break, you are likely to forget a lot of the content you learned, which would defeat the purpose of all your hard work. Even if you are just doing 20 minutes a day for a while, it will still help keep things fresh in your mind.

If you are doing a course, it is important to do all the assigned work. Not only because it will help you make the best use of it, but also many courses hinge their score guarantees on the caveat that you have completed all the necessary assignments. Even if you are taking a course, it is still likely that you will have to do additional work, especially if you are aiming for a top score. Make sure that you keep track of what subjects you are still struggling with and study them on your own. Don’t assume the course will fix everything for you, because you will have unique needs that you will have to fill on your own.

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Meet the Author

Eliza Chute

I was always just an average student, but with the right course prep I was able to score a 770 on my first try. I had to wade through a lot of material to find what was right for me, but luckily for you I've done all the research for you! See more on my GMAT courses page.